Drawer construction



Patented Sept. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH PETRITSCH, OF CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO LYON PRODUCTS, INCORPORATED, OF 'AURORA, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS DRAWER CONSTRUCTION Application filed June 20,

This invention relates to drawers in eneral and particularly to removable partitions for drawers, trays, and other similar articles.

The object of this invention is to provide a new and improved drawer, tray, or the like which has means for removably'holding a dividing member in position thereon.

Another object is to provide a novel drawer which has locking engagement with a dividing member which is composed of a plurality of interfitting and interengaging members. v

Another object is to provide dividing members for drawers, trays, and the like which is made up of a plurality of interfitting and interengaging parts to divide the drawer into a plurality of compartments.

Another object is to provide a dividing member which has means provided thereon to hold the parts together and in position in the drawer.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

The invention comprises in general a drawer having inturned edges which engage the upper edges of a dividing structure or member to hold the dividing structure in place. The dividing structure is made up of a plurality of longitudinal and transverse dividers. Ears are struck out from the body of the drawer and engage turned flanges on the ends of the longitudinal and transverse dividers. The transverse or cross dividers include intermediate dividers which are arranged between the longitudinal dividers. Turned or bent ends are provided on the intermediate dividers which interengage similar turned inner ends on the side cross dividers. through slots or notches cut in the longitudinal dividers.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a These bent ends extend 1829. Serial No. 372,308.

selected embodiment of the invention and the views therein are as follows:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a drawer or tray having the improved dividers arranged inosition therein.

Fig. 2 1s a detail perspective exploded View showing the manner in which the dividers are connected together.

Fig. 3 is a detail plan section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4' is a detail sectional View showing the manner in which the dividing structure is held in position by, the inturned flange on the drawer.

Fig. 5 is a detail plan section showing ends on the cross and intermediate dividers bent and overlapping each other.

Referring to the drawings, 11 designates a drawer which may be made of sheet metal and has a bottom 12. Side and rear walls 13 and 14 respectively are bent up vertically from the bottom 12 and are integral therewith. The upper edges of the side and rear walls are bent inwardly and downwardly to provide depending flanges 15. The front edge of the bottom 12 is bent vertically to provide a lower wing 16 of the drawer front, and the sides 13 are bent inwardly at the vertical front edges 17 thereof to provide wings 18. The wings 18 are provided with mitered corner edges 19 which meet companion mitered edges 20 at the ends of the lower wing '16. A front plate 21 is positioned behind the wings 16 and 18 to complete the front Wall of the drawer.

The side wings 18 and the bottom wing 16 may be flanged outwardly to provide a frame for receiving an identifying card or label relating to the contents of the drawer. A sheet metal handle member 22 is fastened in any suitable manner to the front wall of the drawer, and this handle curves forwardly and downwardly to provide a convenient means for openin and closing the drawer. If desired, the inside front wall plate 21 may also have a downwardly and inwardly inturned flange 23.

The illustrative divider structure is of a type to divide the interior of the drawer both longitudinally between the front and rear walls, and transversely between the side walls, into separate compartments. For this purpose, there are provided the longltudinal 1 divider plates 24, the intermediate transverse divider plates 25, and the side divider plates 26.

As shown in Fig. 2, each longitudinal d1- vider plate 24 may be formed of. a sub stantially fiat strip of sheet metal of the proper length to fit the longitudinal dlmension of the drawer, and provided at its front and rear vertical edges with a relatively narrow positioning or locking flange 27, which is bent substantially perpendlcularly to the plane of the divider. At intervals determined by the desired front to rear dimensions of the various compartments, the longitudinal divider plate or strip 24 is provided with top and bottom slots or notches 28 and 29. These slots are located in vertical alinement and are respectively cut inwardly of the divider strip from the top and bottom edges 30 and 31 thereof.

The transverse dividers 25 and 26 are provided to divide the longitudinal compartments formed by the dividers 24. The intermediate dividers 25 are employed when the divider structure includes more than one longitudinal divider 24. In this case, each intermediate divider is interposed between each of a pair of longitudinal dividers, and each transverse divider 26 islocated between a longitudinal divider and a side wall 13 of the drawer.

As shown in Fig. 2, the intermediate dividers are made of flat plates or strips of sheet metal and are cut away between their top and bottom edges 32 and33 to provide outwardly extending top and bottom lugs 34 and 35 respectively. These lugs project beyond the vertical edges 36 substantially in the plane of the intermediate divider and are adapted to register with the companion slots or notches 28 and 29 in the longitudinal dividers 24.

The side dividers 26, which may be made likewise of sheet metal plates or strips, are provided at their side wall engaging vertical edges with relatively narrow positioning or locking'flanges 37 which project perpendicularly to the plane of the divider. Top and bottom lugs 38 and 39 project from the vertical edge 40 of the side dividers, and these lugs are made like the lugs 34 and 35 of the intermediate dividers 25. These lugs are also adapted to register with the slots or notches 28 and 29 in the longitudinal dividers 24.

When the several transverse dividers are assembled in interengaged relationship with the longitudinal dividers, as for example is shown in Fig. 1, the projecting lugs of transverse dividers disposed on opposite sides of a longitudinal divider are arranged in lapping relationship, so that the lugs of oppositely positioned transverse dividers are interengaged with the same pair of slots 28 and 29 in the longitudinal divider. This construction provides a divider structure which may be assembled in a wide variety of different ways to vary the size and :1 rrangement of the compartments within the drawer, and yet, when assembled, the various divider elements are maintained securely in their interengaged relationship.

The longitudinal dividers 24 and the side dividers 26 are respectively retained in position at the front and rear walls and side walls of the drawer structure by means of divider retaining members, as shown n Figs. 1 and 3. The side walls 13 and the front and rear walls 21 and 15 are each provided .at intervals determined by the slotting and dimensions of the divider elements with pairs of ears or lugs 41. Each ear or lug 41 is formed by cutting through the metal of the wall along the curved edge 42 and striking the ear inwardly from the plane of the drawer wall so that the ear lies in a plane substantially parallel with the Wall and is connected thereto by the bend 43. As shown particularly in Fig. 3, the curved edges 42 of the ears of each pair face each other and at their maximum horizontal width are spaced apart a suflicient distance to receive the divider. The spaces 44 between the ears and the inner surface of the drawer wall provide sockets for receiving the flanged ends 27 or 37 of the dividers.

The flanges at the top of the drawer are all turned inwardly and the dividers are just high enough to fit under the flanges. These flanges are substantiallyresilient and give or spring when the dividers are set in place in the drawer. When the dividers are i being set in place, they will spring under the inturned folds or flanges and become locked thereunder and keep the cluster of dividers from raising out of position.

At the ends of the members 25 and 26, 1 Fig. 5, a slight kink or bend 45 is made to take up all the play in the slots 28 and 29. When the dividers 25 and 26 are in position, the lugs 34 and 35 on the intermediate dividers will overlap the lugs 38 and 39 on the 3 side dividers. The bent ends 45 on one member bear against the sides of the other member and resiliently force the members apart to cause them to bear against the edges of the slots 28 and 29 in the member I 24. This construction takes up all the play in the slots, frictionally holds the members in position, and, prevents rattling.

The dividers are readily attached to the drawer walls by slipping the flanged ends 1 amazes into the sockets behind registered pairs of cars 41, and the main body of the divider projects through the space between the free edges 42 of said ears. When assembled, one ear functions to retain the divider 1n position in a longitudinal direction, and prevents endwise dislocation of the divider. The two cars serve to prevent the lateral or sidewise dislocation of the divider. The bent ends 45 on the intermediate dividers provide means for resiliently holding these members in place and revent them from shifting or rattling, an i the inturned edge on the drawer holds the assembled dividing structure in position by overlapping the ends thereof.

The construction permits the dividers to be interengaged with either ear of each pair.

For example, the locking flanges may be positioned relatively to the interengaged cars, so that they project forwardly of the drawer, as shown in Fig. '1, or may be reversely positioned, if desired.

In the present case, the divider structure is applied to a drawer, but it is to be understood that the dividers may be used in connection with a box, tray, or any other structure of like character to which the divider vided at intervals with pairs of positioning ears in-struck from said walls and arranged with their edges in spaced adjacent relationship, and a divider structure made up of mutually engageable and disengageable plate elements adapted at their wall ends to enter the space between companion ears of a pair and provided with flanging to project behind one of said ears.

2. In a drawer construction, the combination of the vertical walls respectively pro-- vided at intervals with pairs of positioning ears in-struck from said walls and arranged with their edges in spaced adjacent relationship, and a divider structure comprising plate elements adapted at their wallends to enter the space between companion ears of a pair and? provided with flanging to project behind one of said cars.

3. In a drawer, a divider structure in-' cluding a plate element provided at its wall ends with looking flanging, and vertical walls included in the drawer construction, having flan'ging and plate engaging elements for interlocking relationship with said divider structure, to resist both end wise and lateral dislocation of the divider with respect to the wall.

4. A divider structure, comprising divider plate elements arranged. in perpendicular relationship, one of said elements provided with posit1oning slots, and the other with lugs projecting from its end, and into the positioning slots of said first mentioned element, and flanging provided at the wall engaging ends of the divider elements for rmitting the latter to be slidably mounted to the vertical walls of a drawer containing the divider structure.

5. A divider structure, comprising divider plate elements arranged in perpendlcular relationship, one of said elements provided with positioning slots, and the other with horizontal lugs on its ends and projecting in the plane thereof and into the positioning slots of said first mentioned element.

6. In a drawer, the combination of a divider structure made up of interengageable and disengageable plate elements, provided at their wall ends with perpendicularly extending locking fianging, and vertical walls included in the drawer construction, having pairs of divider engaging ears in-struck from said walls and arranged with their edges in spaced adjacent relationship, to receive the main body portions of the divider elements, one of said ears overlapping a divider locking flange to resist endwise dislocation, and the other ear disposed perpendicularly to the main plane of the divider to resist lateral dislocation thereof.

7. In a drawer, a longitudinal divider having upper and lower notches, and a cross divider having lugs projecting from the end thereof and engaging the notches in said longitudinal divider.

8. In a drawer, a longitudinal divider having upper and lower notches a cross divider having lugs projecting rom the end thereof and engaging the notches in said longitudinal divider, and a second cross divider having lugs engaging the notches in said longitudinal divider and. overlapping the lugs on said first cross divider.

9. In a drawer, a longitudinal divider having upper and lower notches, a cross divider having lugs projecting from the end thereof and engaging the notches in said longitudinal divider, an inturned flange on said drawer and engaging the top of said dividers, a second cross divider having lugs engaging said notches and overlapping said first named lugs, and bent ends on each of said lugs and engaging the sides of the other cross divider.

- 10. A divider structure for drawers and the like comprising a member having notches therein, a cross member having lugs thereon and extending through said notches, and a second cross member having bent lugs thereon extending through said notches and gngaging'the sides of said first cross mem- 11. In a drawer or the like, a divider structure therefor and comprising a member having notches therein, a cross member having lugs thereon and extending through said notches, a second cross memberhaving lugs thereon extending through said notches and engaging the sides of said first cross member, flanges on the ends of some of said members and engaging means formed on said drawer for mamtaining said members in spaced position.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JOSEPH PETRITSOH. 

